After opening the season with a 41-10 win over Murray State, Kent State has lost back-to-back contests at Boston College (26-13) and at Penn State (24-0). The Golden Flashes look to open conference play with a road victory at Miami.

The RedHawks opened the 2010 season by giving No. 7 Florida a scare before the Gators pulled away for a 34-12 win. Miami then went on to win two straight home contests, including a 31-10 beatdown of Colorado State. Last week Miami fell at Missouri, 51-13.

The Kent State-Miami series dates back to 1942, with Miami owning a 44-13 advantage. But, Kent State has won two straight over Miami and three of the last four games.

TEAM QUICK FACTS

Sophomore quarterback Spencer Keith has completed 62.6-percent of his passes (67-107) en route to throwing for 646 yards and four touchdowns the first three weeks of the season. He has spread the wealth to 11 different receivers.

Junior wideout Sam Kirkland leads the Flashes with 16 catches for 187 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Tyshon Goode is second on the team with 13 grabs.

Junior running back Jacquise Terry has rushed for 82 yards while making nine catches for 142 yards and two TDs in the first three games.

Miami's senior wide receiver Armand Robinson ranks seventh in the nation in receptions per game with 8.0 and 17th nationally with 95.5 receiving yards per contest. He caught 10 passes on Saturday at Mizzou, the fourth time in his career he has reached double figures for catches.

Over the last nine quarters, RedHawk quarterbackZac Dysert has completed 45 of his last 57 passes, an amazing completion percentage of .789.

Coach Morris Watts' RedHawk offense has scored at least three points in all but one quarter this season. Miami has 75 first downs, six more than its competition, and is averaging 4.5 yards per play. Miami's 84 total points through the first four games of 2010 are 39 more than it scored in a similar span last season.

Defensive coordinator Carl "BULL" Reese saw his team falter against Missouri, but the RedHawks' defensive unit has taken great strides overall in 2010. Miami ranks 23rd, nationally, in rushing defense (100.5 ypg) and 43rd in total defense (327.3). MU is tied for 15th in red zone effi cency as its opponents have scored just nine times in 14 tries inside the 20-yard line. The RedHawks rank 47th in first downs allowed (17.3 per game).

KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES

EDGE

MIAMI REDHAWKS

PASS DEFENSE

PASSING GAME

Kent State has allowed 232 passing yards per game, but held both Boston College and Penn State under that average. Junior cornerback Josh Pleasant and senior cornerback Kirk Belgrave have played well this season, and are tied for the team lead with two pass break-ups. Senior safeties Brian Lainhart and Dan Hartman are among the Golden Flashes top tacklers. The Flashes have allowed four passing touchdowns in their first three games. Despite Dysert's big game last season, the Flashes' experience in the secondary and ability to get to the passer gives them a slight advantage.

Miami's offense averages just 212.2 passing yards per game. Sophomore Zac Dysert does most of the damage. He has completed 66.9-percent of his passes (79-118) for 764 yards and four touchdowns. He has thrown six interceptions. Last season, in his first start, Dysert torched the Golden Flashes for 337 yards and a score in a losing effort. Dysert's favorite target is Armand Robinson, who leads the RedHawks with 32 catches for 382 yards and three touchdowns. Dysert has involved his wide receivers, running backs and tight ends in the passing game. The RedHawks have allowed 12 sacks in four games.

The defense is the obvious strength of the Kent State football team. The Flashes have made big play after big play this season. Meanwhile, Miami still seeks a complementary receiver to Robinson and has given up three sacks per contest. EDGE: KSU

RUSH DEFENSE

RUNNING GAME

The Golden Flashes have been susceptible to the big play in the passing game. That's not the case in the run game where opponents have averaged just 61.3 yards per game and 1.8 yards per carry. The Flashes held both Boston College and Penn State to 4.0 yards per carry or less. The success of Kent State's rush defense is due in large part to the pressure the Flashes get from its defensive line and the play of the linebackers, led by seniorCobrani Mixon, with a team-high 31 tackles on the year.

Miami averages just 80.8 rushing yards per game and just 2.4 yards per carry. But, those statistics don't tell the full story. Twelve sacks have accounted for minus-65 yards, dropping the RedHawks' rushing average. Miami's top ball carriers--Tracy Woods and Thomas Merriweather each average over 4.0 yards per carry. Combined they have rushed 76 times for a respectable 318 yards. The wild card here is Dysert, who rushed for 107 yards in last year's loss at Kent State.

Kent State's relentless pressure from its front four and the outstanding play of its linebackers gives the Flashes a slight edge here. EDGE: KSU

PASSING GAME

PASS DEFENSE

Sophomore quarterback Spencer Keith hasn't been at his best during Kent State's two-game losing streak, but still he has completed 62.6-percent of his passes for 646 yards and four scores. The Flashes completed just 5-of-11 passes in last year's win against Miami. They'll need to put the ball in the air much more on Saturday, forcing Keith to shake the sophomore slump he's in. Wide receivers Tyshon Goode and Sam Kirkland have to find a way to make to plays against a solid Miami secondary.

Miami's secondary has played well this season, allowing just 226.8 passing yards and seven touchdowns through the air in four games, and that includes games against two ranked teams. But, senior safety Jordan Gafford suffered an injury last week and is not expected to play on Saturday. Miami has depth at the position and sound secondary. Sophomore safety Pat Hinkel leads the team with two picks and cornerback D.J. Brown has broken up six passes.

Spencer Keith is in a slump and he'll have to raise his level of play for the Flashes to be in the hunt for a MAC title. Miami's secondary took a hit when Gafford went down with an injury, but the RedHawks have plenty of depth at the position and a strong group of corners. EDGE: Miami

RUNNING GAME

RUSH DEFENSE

At the start of the season, Kent State's deepest position was at running back. But, that was before senior Eugene Jarvis suffered a hamstring injury and Jacquise Terry and Dri Archer have struggled to produce. The Flashes average just 66.3 yards per game and 2.5 yards per carry. With Jarvis expected to miss his third straight game, the burden is on Terry and Archer to make something happen.

Miami allows just a hint over 100 rushing yards per contest, but that was before linebacker Ryan Kennedy went down with an injury. Middle linebackerJerrell Wedge continues to be the model of consistency and is tied with Kennedy for the team lead in tackles with 27. While Kennedy isn't expected to play, Luke Kelly is expected to return from injury, giving the RedHawks a boost.

With Jarvis expected to miss his third straight game, Kent State must rely on Terry and Archer to produce on the ground. So far that hasn't happened. Miami's defense has been tough to run on and that likely won't change on Saturday. EDGE: Miami

SPECIAL TEAMS

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Golden Flashes' kicking teams have performed at a high level. Matt Rinehart averages 40.9 yards per punt with seven kicks landing inside the 20 and kicker Freddy Cortez is 4-of-5 on field goal tries and 6-for-6 on point after attempts. The Flashes average 28.1 yards on kickoff returns, with one returned for a score. Meanwhile, the Flashes hold opponents to just 16.6 yards per kick return.

Like Kent State, Miami's kicking units have been solid this season. Trevor Cook is 7-for-8 on field goal attempts and 4-for-4 on extra point tries. The RedHawks have yet to see a big play in the return game as they average just over 21 yards per kickoff return and a dismal 3.2 yards per punt return.

In a game like this--one that is expected to be a defensive struggle--special teams could be the difference. Both teams possess solid kicking games, but Kent State's return game has been just a bit better in the early goings. EDGE: KSU

INTANGIBLES

INTANGIBLES

With back-to-back losses, it seems as if Kent State is a team on the verge of collapse. But, that isn't the case. Any sane individual would have predicted the Flashes would enter this game with a 1-2 record. Can the Golden Flashes get their offense on track and win on the road?

Miami has dominated the series, 44-13. The RedHawks are playing at home and they already have a MAC win under their belt. Even more important, they have a win over a quality non-conference opponent, and it was a dominating victory.

After opening the season with a dominating victory over Murray State, Kent State lost any confidence it started the season wtih. The Flashes played at Boston College and Penn State as an underdog and never believed they could win either game. As a result, they turned the ball over five times at Boston College in a 26-13 loss and never had a chance in a 24-0 loss at Penn State. Miami has been just the opposite. After finishing the 2009 season with a 1-11 record the RedHawks played their season-opener at Florida with a chip on their shoulder and gave the No. 7 Gators all they could handle. EDGE: Miami

SUMMARY: This isn't a must-win game for Kent State, it just seems that way. The Flashes certainly could overcome a loss in their conference season opener. But, turning a two-game losing streak into a three-game skid could be too much for the Flashes, who already have an inferiority complex.

Miami is playing like a 1-11 team should play. The RedHawks certainly couldn'tt get any worse than they were in 2009 and they're playing like a team that knows just how many games they gave away last season. There's no shortage of talent in Oxford. Putting it all together is the challenge for the RedHawks, who already have become the most improved team in the Mid-American Conference.

KENT STATE'S KEYS TO THE GAME:

Don't be intimidated. The Flashes walked out of the tunnel at Boston College and Penn State in awe of their surroundings. They forgot they too were on scholarship and went out and gave away any chance they had of pulling out a victory. If the Flashes start out slowly at Yager Stadium, they'll likely lose their third straight game.

Use the pass to set up the run. The Flashes haven't had any success running the football, despite a strong performance from their offensive line. Spencer Keith rarely has been touched this season, so it's up to him and the wide receivers to spread the field to give the KSU running backs some room to run.

Lock down Dysert. Last year Miami's quarterback torched the Flashes for almost 500 yards of offense. If that happens again the Flashes can all but kiss goodbye their hopes of winning a MAC title. The Flashes have to contain Dysert and force him to throw out of the pocket. Dysert excels throwing the football on the run, and when he can't find a receiver he sure can run.

MIAMI'S KEYS TO THE GAME:

Intimidate the Flashes. Attack on offense and defense. Create doubt among Kent State's players and the mistakes will come.

Pressure Keith. Spencer Keith has struggled the past two games. Forcing him to make quicker decisions and throw on the run could shake his confidence.

Win special teams. Kent State has had several explosion plays in special teams. Don't allow that to happen and win the battle of field position and the RedHawks can claim the victory.

PREDICTION: MIAMI 20, KENT STATE 13

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